Electric self-winding clock.



W. 'H.-KALLENBAOH & 0. O. BERTSGH. ELECTRIC SELF WINDING CLOCK APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 26. 1909,

Patented Feb. 14, 1911 I T? R) EmUCDT U JhQMAZMMML a6 4 a 5 gamm f Owing to this arrangement of the armature .60 to prevent the dog from sliding longitudinary form together with-electric rewinding mechanism. The gear train of the clock, terminating with the escapcmcnt wheel 1, is" of ordinary or finy suitable form and 1smounted in a frame 2 of ordinary construction. The driving wheel 3 of the t ain is connected with d spring drum 'wl dch is loosely journaled upon a spring shaft rotatably mounted in the frame 2, and the clock spring 6, of the ordinary spiral form, is connected at one end with the spring drum 4 and at the other end with the spring shaft- 5. 4

In place of the ordinarv winding kc for 1-5 turning the spring shaft 5 to win the spring, the illustrated clock is provided with rewinding mechanism actuated by an 'electromagnet 7. This magnet is of ordinary horseshoe form and 1S fixed to the frame of the clock by a bracket 8 secured to the yokebf the magnet.

The armature 9 of the magnet 7 is moun'ted upon a lever-arm 10 which is fixed to a rock-shaft 11 jonrneled on the bracket 8.

it is not moved directly toward and from the polar extremities of the magnet but moves transversely with respect thereto. The arinature normally occupies a position somewhat bciow the poles of the magnet, but when thel magnet is energized it acts to raise the armature; to the position illustrated in Figs. 1- :ind i v In order that the armature may have an intermittent vibrating action, 2! contact spring 12 is fixed tothe arm 10 in position movement of the the'clutch drum 15 is prevented from re- -verse rotation by means of retaining/member provided With'e dog 28 similar in form to cooperate with a fixed contact screw 13. The contact screw is adjustubly mounted in an insulated .bracliet 1st and the contact members are connected in circuit with the. electro-megnet and the source of current that when the magnet circuit is energized the contact spring acts, in a familiar manner, to-interrupt the magnet. circuit'at each upward vibration of the nunnture so as to cause the armaturetovibrate repeatedly. The mechanism by which the armature connected with thee ring shaft 5 comprises 2L oneway friction (riving clutch of which the driven member is in the form of a drum 15 fixed to the rear end of the spring shaft. This drum has an annular groovein its rear face and in this groove works the-driving member 16 of theclutch. This member is in the form of an elongated dog having shoulders 17 and 18' on its opposite sides so 10- ceted that when the do isswung in one direction in the groove t e shoulders acttg, pinch against the sides of the groove so as nally in the groove. The driving dog 16 has also longercuate hearing surfaces 19 and 20 on opposite sides, these surfaces-acting, when the dog is swung in the opposite direction, 6 t0 nfl'ord substantially frictionless bearings between the dog and the drum so as to pen Init the dog to move freely in the groove. The driving dog 16 is fixed to the upper end of a lever arm 21, and a link 22, pivoted to the lower endof the arm 21, connects it with an arm 23 fixed to and extending upward from the rock shaft 11.

The above-described mechanism that when thearmature 9 rises the arm 2; moves to the left and the arm 21 is thereby moved in the same direction. ciiuses the driving dog 16 to groove, as above described, the dog cannot slide longitudinally in the groove and the swinging movement of the arm 21 therefore causes a partial rotation of the clutch drum,

thereby turning thespring shaft 5 and partially rewinding the spr ng. To insure the proper action of the clutch dog. 16 it provided with a pin 24 loose] engaging an arm 25 which is pivoted loose y upon the spring shaft 5. The outer-end of the arm 25 is connected with a tension spring 26 which acts constantly to raise the arm .25 and the clutch dog, thereby maintaining the clutch dog constantly in position to pinch in the clutch groove without lost motion in the actuating mechanism. During the return clutch-driving member,

to the dog 16. f The dog 28 is fixed ton depending arm 29 loosely connected with the frame 2 by means of a connecting link 30. it spring'3l connected with the link 30 tends constantly to draw the'rctaining dog downward into position to pinch in the groove upon any tendency of the drum to rotate i'evcrsely. hen the drum is rotated by the driving member, however, the retaining dog 28 is free to rise sufiicicntly to disengage itself from the drum. The dog 28 is retained in the groove by a left-hond extension of the arm'25. v

.By the use of the friction clutch mechanisn'i above described the rcwinding mechanism is rendered o rative without re ard to the amplitude o themovements of the armature. \Vhgre a ratchet and pawl mcchnnism is used, as is common in devices of this character, it is obviously necessary that the armature have a movement of a given amplitude corres ending to it least thd'spacc of one tooth of t 1e ratchet, but in the present Vlad As this action pinch 1n the is such construction the sligbtestmovement of the armature results in a partial rotation of the clutch drum and the spring shaft, since the friction-clutch mechanism operntessubstuntially Without lost motion. For the same reason it is unnecessar to limit the movements of the armature y stops of any char acter and thusthe armature may have a free vibrating movement,- thereby avoidingtbe noise incident to an arrangement in which i closed ithi'ou the armature strikes against fixed stops at the ends of its vibrating movements. The

electric mechanism is therefore almost absolutely noiseless. It will be noted furthermore that a weakening in the battery or other source of electricity by which the mechanism is energized will not necessarily cause an interruption in the operation of the rewinding mechanism even though-it result in reducing the amplitude of the vibrations of the armature.

The controlling devices by which the electric rewinding mechanismis thrown into and but of operation are illustrated. particu larly in 3and \Vithin the spring drum 4 isa fiat spring32 fixed at one end to the drum -and carry ng at its other end a contact membe "33 which projects outwardly through an o ening in the drum. Asecond cont-act niem r 34:, in the form of a. flat spring, is mounted upon, but insulated from,

the frame z. When the clock spring 6 is wound as in Fig. 3-, the spring 32 springs in wardly into contact with the outer coil of the clock spring and holds the contact mem ber 33 in such a position that it will noten-I gage the oontact'spring 34 in the course of e spring drum. As the its rotation with th clock spring nnwinds, however, it gradually forces the spring ta'ct spring 34. By this action a circuit is I hthe electro-magneti and the battery or t "1 source of current by which the magnet is energized, and the winding mechanism is thrown into operation. As the winl'ling operation occupies only a few seconds the rotation of the spring drum is not interrupted by the engagement of contact members, and ,the contact sprin 34 Y yields to the slightadvancing motion 0 the rotating contact member which occurs during the rewinding operation. If, however, owing to the weakness-of the battery or to any other cause, the" rewindin operation occupies more timb than usual, t e' arrangement is' such cally maintained until the winding is completed, .1 Immediately'upon the completion of the operation thecircuit is interrupted,

i nce the contact member 33 is gradually withdrawn into-the spring drum as the a spring" contracts,

so that eventually it is drawiuout of eng ement' with the spring ccntactimemberBl. By this arrangement theexpenditur'e of electric energy is reduced to that absolutely necessary to complete the 32 and contact member 33 outwardlyuntil thecontact member assumes the position in'which, at the proper point in its rotation, it" engages the end of the contar that the contact is autor'nati of construction and operation of the embodiment hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but may be embodied in various other forms within the nature of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

\Ve claim;

1. In an electrics elf-winding clock, the

combination with an es'ca'pement train, ofa spring-actuated rotary member provided with an annular groove in its rear face, fric- 'tion-drivin and retarding members working in said groove, an electro-magnet, an armature, means connecting said armature with the driving and retardlng members,

and circuit making and breaking means carried by the rotary member, for the purpose set forth.

y 2. In an electric self-winding clock, the combination of an escapement train, a ro member mounted on said train and containing a s iralspring for actuating said member an provided on its rearface with an annular groove, friction-drivin and re tarding niembers' working in sin groove, an electro-magnet, an armature, means conmeeting said armature with the friction driving and retarding. means, ;ing and }spring in the and circuit mak-. m 4 the rotation of said member.

3. In-an electric selflw-inding clock, the

ta member mountedon said train and provi ed on its rearface with" an annular i ve, tion-driving and retarding memrs' work ng in said groove, an electro-magmet having an armature *{cdnnectibns bel tween the armature and 't sar member to cause the movement ot the former to rotate the latter, and connections between the friction-driving and retarding means whereby the retarding means operates to hold the rotary member from reverse movement.

WALTER H. KALLENBACH.

CHARLES C. BERTSGH.

' Witnesses: WARnnN G. OGDEN HORACE VAN EvnRnN.

-.means actuated by the Our invention is notlimited to the details I00 combination'withmn e'scapement train, arp- 

